Central Nervous System Disorders

Migraine A migraine can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on just one side of the head. It's often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine attacks can cause significant pain for hours to days and can be so severe that the pain is disabling. Warning symptoms known as aura may occur before or with the headache. These can include flashes of light, blind spots, or tingling on one side of the face or in your arm or leg. Medications can help prevent some migraines and make them less painful. Talk to your doctor about different migraine treatment options if you can't find relief. The right medicines, combined with self-help remedies and lifestyle changes, may help. Migraines often begin in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood. Migraines may progress through four stages: prodrome, aura, headache and post-drome, though you may not experience all stages One or two days before a migraine...

What is Encephalitis:   Encephalitis is irritation and swelling (inflammation) of the brain, most often due to infections. Encephalitis means inflammation of the brain . This inflammation usually is triggered by a viral infection, although sometimes it can be caused by a bacterial infection of the brain, such as Lyme disease. In some cases, symptoms are caused by direct infection of the brain. In other cases, the brain inflammation is caused by the immune system's response to the brain infection. Even if the immune system attack succeeds in eliminating the infection, it may injure the brain in the process. This is called post-infectious encephalitis. Often, viruses that cause encephalitis also cause inflammation of the delicate tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord, which are called the meninges. This condition is meningitis. When encephalitis and meningitis occur together, it is called meningoencephalitis. Of the many different viruses that can cause meningoence...

Meningitis What is Meningitis:   Meningitis is an infection which causes inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Non-bacterial meningitis is often referred to as "aseptic meningitis." Bacterial meningitis may be referred to as "purulent meningitis." Meningitis  is an  acute   inflammation  of the protective membranes covering the  brain  and  spinal cord , known collectively as the  meninges .  The most common symptoms are  fever ,  headache , and  neck stiffness . Other symptoms include  confusion  or altered  consciousness , vomiting, and an  inability to tolerate light  or  loud noises . Young children often exhibit only  nonspecific symptoms , such as irritability, drowsiness, or poor feeding.  If a  rash  is present, it may indicate a particular cause of meningitis; for instance,  meningitis caused by meningococcal bacteria ...

Parkinson's Disease What is Parkinson's Disease:   A progressive, neurological disease first described in 1817 by James Parkinson. The pathology is not completely understood, but there appears to be consistent changes in the melanin-containing nerve cells in the brainstem. Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. It develops gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. But while a tremor may be the most well-known sign of Parkinson's disease, the disorder also commonly causes stiffness or slowing of movement. In the early stages of Parkinson's disease, your face may show little or no expression, or your arms may not swing when you walk. Your speech may become soft or slurred. Parkinson's disease symptoms worsen as your condition progresses over time. Although Parkinson's disease can't be cured, medications may markedly improve your symptoms. In occasional ca...